MBR Local Community Projects
Community projects are at the core of MBR’s commitment to service. This is a small selection of the organizations we support and the projects we’ve done over the past several years. We invite you to join us to be a part of this commitment. Or, we encourage you to donate to the MBR Foundation so we can continue to fund these projects during socially-distanced times.
Refugee Home Setup
In partnership with Lutheran Social Services, MBR sets up homes for incoming refugee families. We gather, deliver and set up all of the needed household supplies and furniture, stock the refrigerator and pantry, cook several welcoming meals, and overall create a warm and welcoming home.
Nourishing Bethesda
MBR supports Nourishing Bethesda, a coalition that includes St. John’s Norwood Episcopal Church, Nourish Now, the Greater Bethesda Chamber of Commerce, the Hyatt Regency Bethesda, and the Bethesda-Chevy Chase Rescue Squad. This initiative seeks to distribute 4-5 meals per week to 200-300 families. Learn more in this Bethesda Beat article.
Mt. Zion Cemetery Cleanup
MBR members regularly join members of the Washington DC Rotary Club on a project to clean up and restore Mt. Zion Cemetery in Georgetown, a historically Black cemetery with an important history, including as a stop on the Underground Railroad. Members have also funded and built a new shed to store materials.
Nourish Now
MBR provides monthly help to Nourish Now, a Montgomery County food bank that specializes in food recovery from grocery stores, restaurants and other food donors.
Stream Clean
MBR, in partnership with Rock Creek Conservancy, periodically cleans up trash in Rock Creek Park. Community members are invited to join us!
KIND Food Distribution
Every six weeks, MBR members help Kids in Need Distributors (KIND) with their delivery of weekend food packs to schools with students who rely on school meal programs and need supplies over the weekend.
Feed the Need
During COVID-19, MBR designed a program so that individual MBR’ers could support restaurants and deserving organizations at the same time. MBR members purchased meals from local restaurants, then those restaurants contribute meals to deserving non-profits such as first responders, Greentree Family Shelter, and Casa Ruby, which supported the local transgender community.
Bethesda Cares
MBR helps Bethesda Cares prepare and serve lunch to homeless community members every several months. During the pandemic, Bethesda Cares has asked that we conduct food/grocery card drives.
Tower Gardens
MBR donated Tower Gardens to Montgomery County schools and KID Museum. Tower gardens use aeroponics to grow plants faster and more nutritionally with only water and nutrients rather than dirt. The program is designed to help spark youth interest in healthy eating, gardening, STEM, and cultural diversity of food.
So What Else
MBR supports So What Else, which typically provides out-of-school programming for underserved youth. During the Covid-19 pandemic, Club members helped with So What Else’s distribution of food and other essential items to community members in need who are unable to access services.
Collection Drives
During COVID-19 quarantines and business shutdowns, MBR designed a matching gifts program that supported local restaurants while helping to feed local hospital staff and first responders. We also partnered with a wide array of non-profits to help fulfill their in-kind needs. This year we collected diapers, school backpacks, feminine hygiene products, bras, and much more.
COVID-19 Project
Our Club recently spearheaded a $53,000 COVID-19 grant to be used to fund life-saving medical equipment, PPE, and food for several local organizations dealing with COVID-19 community safety and health. Beneficiaries were BCC Rescue Squad, Mobile Medical Care, and So What Else.